Category: Holiday

14-26 Annual July 4th Show | How Presidents Celebrated July Fourth

14-26 Annual July 4th Show | How Presidents Celebrated July Fourth

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Show 14-26 Summary: It’s our annual 4th of July show! With our annual guest, amateur historian Greg Leo. This year our main focus is on how Presidents celebrated July Fourth down through the years. One didn’t. And one president may have died because of his Independence Day celebrations. And be sure to tune in to hear about one of history’s largest bar tabs. Because our founding fathers definitely knew how to celebrate freedom. As always, there’s always lots more to discuss—including the big 250th anniversary coming up in 2026, just two short years away.

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Original Air Dates: June 29th & 30th, 2024 | Guest: Greg Leo

This Week – How Presidents Celebrated July Fourth

It’s our annual Fourth of July show! Down through the years we have look at the history of Independence Day, how it’s been celebrated and the traditions that have come down to us even from those early celebrations. We’ve looked at July 4th on the Oregon trail. We’ve examined the Declaration of Independence itself and the rights and grievances lodged against the king. We’ve looked at the signers of the declaration. And two years ago we took an in-depth look at George Washington who was so very central to America’s independence.

But it’s not always been easy. And there have been celebrations even in dark, turbulent times in American history. Like the Civil War. And the first 50 years, because there was a lot of doubt America would even make it that far.

This year, being a presidential election year, we’re looking at how presidents celebrated Independence Day.

Want more? Because there’s always so much to talk about we feel like we only scratched the surface. so if you’d like to find out more about how presidents celebrated Independence Day, be sure to check links and information section below.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Greg Leo is a public affairs consultant, working with governments, tribes, businesses, and individuals. If you need help in that area, contact him via greg@TheLeoCompany.com

How Presidents have Celebrated Independence Day

America at 250: The 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

Mentioned/Related/Additional Fourth of July Links

 

 

 

13-48 It’s Christmastime! Dating, Origins, History, and Biblical Accounts

13-48 It’s Christmastime! Dating, Origins, History, and Biblical Accounts

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Show 13-48 Summary: Christmastime is that time of year when you run into the Christmas downers who try to convince you “real Christians” shouldn’t celebrate Christmas because it has “pagan origins.” You doubtless see them popping up on social media and among your circle of friends. And they will arrogantly scoff at anyone who doesn’t echo their dismissive Christmas attitude. The modern-day Christmas downer is a lot like the downer Puritans before them: if they don’t approve it, then it’s just not Christian. For much of American history, the Puritans and other protestant offshoots banned Christmas celebrations — especially merrymaking. This week, find out why you shouldn’t let them steal your Christmas joy. We talk with Pastor Richard Peil about the origins and history of Christmas celebrations, its potential dating, and some exciting insights into the two Biblical accounts of the Nativity story.

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Original Air Dates: December 2nd & 3rd, 2023 | Guest: Pastor Richard Peil

This Week – It’s Christmastime!

For most people, Christmastime is a joyous time. Filled with traditions, family, joy, and memories and nostalgia about Christmases past. But not for everyone. Some are committed to being the Christmas downer. Why? Because they’ve gotten it in their head that Christmas has pagan origins. That it was originally a pagan holiday that the early Church co-opted Saturnalia. Or other pagan holidays. So they spend what should be a joyous time of year dragging others down and, Grinch-like, attempting to steal others’ joy and Christmas spirit.

Don’t let them.

And when they’re not pushing the Saturnalia angle, they’ll point out similarities between the Mithra religion. Yes, there are alleged similarities. But you know who’s the greatest imitator of God and what is holy? Satan. (Funny how they forget that.) They’ll say we don’t know when Jesus was born. And that’s largely true. And they’ll also say whenever he was born it was not on December 25th, in 1 A.D. Yes, that’s possible. After all, if your focus is to pick a day that something didn’t happen, you’ve got a 364 out 365 chance of being right.

Calendars and the Dating of Christmas Day

Over the millennia, calendars and dates have been tweaked and revised and reordered to an extent that it’s hard to say which day might have been the true Christmas Day. And it’s a moving date. At one time, most scholars thought Jesus was born in 4 B.C. based largely on Josephus. But better information came to light, including a better dating for the eclipse Josephus mentioned. And, drawing on other historical sources, it’s now reliably likely that Jesus was born in  2 B.C.

But which day of the year?

Well, here’s the thing: no one knows. But it’s not the date that’s important – it’s what happened that’s important. Regardless of the day of the year. That the war against Satan had started and his time holding power over this world was coming to an end. And, as with any life, it’s not “just” that you’re born but what you do with that life. The date it started doesn’t matter in the greater scheme of things.

Origins of Christmas

We welcome back Pastor Richard Peil who leads Victory Baptist Church in Bend, Oregon, to talk about Christmas, its early church origins and beliefs. In the early days of Christianity, which had many Jewish converts and followed Jewish heritage, most people did not celebrate birthdays at all. Instead, they celebrated the day when someone died. Which is rather odd from our modern standpoint. But tune in to hear other traditions and about two competing theories of why the early church thought Jesus was conceived on March 25th. And therefore must have been born on December 25th.

We also talk about Christmas time celebrations during America’s early days. Or not. Because in some colonies and states, not only was Christmas definitely not celebrated but was even banned from being celebrated.

And then we talk about the two Nativity stories in the Bible, from Matthew and Luke. Which tell the story of Jesus’s birth from two different viewpoints. And intended for two different audiences. Why does Matthew focus on the arrival of the Magi and Luke ignores it? Why does Luke focus on John the Baptist and the shepherds? And why does Matthew ignore those?

Watch the fascinating “Star of Bethlehem” 2007 documentary by Rick Larson
Try this link if you have Amazon Prime Video

Speaking of Magi, you’ll hear what some sources think their arrival was really like. And with some historical context, you’ll never think of the “Three Wise Men” the same ever again.

Christmastime Traditions and Today

Then we wrap up with some important discussions of Christmas in today’s day and age. Should Christians even celebrate? If so, why? What do non-believers need to see and to hear during Christmastime? And the same for Christians? What traditions does Pastor Peil’s family and church family celebrate and are important to them?

So when you run into the Christmas downer, spewing their Christmastime hate, remind them the date is not important. The Joy of Christmas is found in what happened that day, not the day on which it happened.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Pastor Peil’s church is Victory Baptist Church. Their website is victoryforyou.church

The Problems Dating of Christmas

  • From Chuck Missler: When Was Jesus Born? (Koinonia House, Dec 1, 2020)
    • “We know that the flocks were in an open field (Luke 2:8). That means it was not after October, because it would have been too cold.”
    • 24 priestly courses
  • Jewish Calendar, 3BC and 2BC
  • Origins of April Fools Day (History.com)
    • “April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. …In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1.”
  • Roman calendar (via Fandom)
  • The Essenes Calendar (Bible Prophecy Information, via Rev210.net)
    • The Essenes (who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls) kept the traditional Jewish solar calendar, not the Pharisees’ lunar calendar
    • See our previous show with Dr. Ken Johnson for a fascinating look at the Essenes — the ancient Jewish sect, including their calendar-based prophecies of Jesus’s arrival and completion of his mission as The Messiah.
  • The First Recorded Celebration of Christmas (Christianity Today, Oct 23, 2020)
    • “In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A.D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: ‘25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.’ Or, ‘December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea.’ This… is the first recorded celebration of Christmas.”
  • Historians beware! Interesting discussion on Julian/Gregorian Calendars (University of Nottingham)
    • The Julian Calendar was the system of dating followed from 46BC onwards. It established a 365-¼ year. Except it was 11 minutes too long.
    • In 1582, the Gregorian calendar corrected the over-correction by eliminating ten days and adjusting leap years. But took nearly 400 years to be universally adopted!

The Magi, Other Christmastime

  • History of the Magi (Chuck Missler, December 1, 2021)
  • The fascinating “Star of Bethlehem” 2007 documentary by Rick Larson
  • The Origins of our Christmas Traditions (KHouse.org, Seasonal Favorites, Dec 2004)
    • “The first recorded mention of December 25th is in the Calendar of Philocalus (A.D. 354).”
  • The History of Christmas: Is It Pagan? (Koinonia House, Dec 13, 2011)
    • “Tertullian (AD 160-220), the early Church writer, noticed that the pagan religion [of Mithra] utilized baptism as well as bread and wine consecrated by priests. He considered Mithraism to have been inspired by the devil, who wanted to mock Christians and lead others to hell.”
  • John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Greek word there for “dwelt” is  σκηνόω (pronounced, “skay-NAH-oh”) which means to tent or to encamp; which is why some translations use “tabernacled among us” instead of “dwelt among us.” See this link to Strong’s Concordance for more on σκηνόω.
  • What the Bible says about Feast of Tabernacles (BibleTools.org, No Date)
    • Required 189 animal sacrifices be made at the Feast of Tabernacles alone—more than all the other holy days combined.
  • Early Christmas (Britannica.com)
    • “During the first two centuries of Christianity there was strong opposition to recognizing birthdays of martyrs or, for that matter, of Jesus.”
  • The Christmas Story – Part 2 – Chuck Missler (Koinonia House, YouTube Channel, Dec 25, 2019)

 

 

13-01 Shaking off Yesteryear & Hoping for Change in the New Year – 2023 Preview

13-01 Shaking off Yesteryear & Hoping for Change in the New Year – 2023 Preview

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Show 13-01 Summary: New Year’s is always a time of reflection and looking ahead. There were a lot of lowlights in 2022 but there were some really good outcomes. A few. Can they be enough to make 2023 better — at a time when many economists warn a big recession is coming in 2023? Bestselling author Scott McEwen and scientist Chuck Wiese give their 2023 preview: the new Republican congress, what can we realistically expect, and could 2023 be a year of more faith and revival?

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Original Air Dates: Date, 2023 | Guests:Scott McEwen and Chuck Wiese

This Week – 2022 Review, 2023 Preview

For our first show of our 13th year (wow!), we welcome back two of our favorite guests, Scott McEwen and Chuck Wiese. To take a look back at 2022 and to give us their 2023 preview.

And there were definitely a lot of “lowlights” in 2022. Among the biggest disappointments, if not the biggest disappointments was the midterm elections. While Republicans picked up seats, picked up voters (some 6 million more people voted Republican than in 2018), and picked up the House, there were a few key, critical races where Republicans failed. Most notably, in the Senate.

2023 – Off to a Rocky Start

We talk with Scott McEwen, the bestselling co-author of American Sniper, about the political side of 2023. The Republicans only just barely control the House and don’t even have a tie any more in the Senate. So what can they realistically get done? Will there be real investigations? Investigations that seek the truth, not invent it? Will the DOJ, FBI, CIA, and others be held responsible for interfering with the 2020 election? Or for blocking the Hunter Biden laptop scandal?

And what about all those revelations from the Twitter files? Covid, corruption, and outright censorship. We’re just getting started on those.

We also talk about the shocking collapse of Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin on live TV on Monday Night football. Was it the vaccine? What were his teammates, who were also forced to get the vaccine thinking? And while Pfizer and the others have blanket immunity, does the NFL?

Then we talk with Chuck Wiese about the disappointing efforts to end election theft. We saw progress in a number of states but Pennsylvania and especially Arizona just blatantly cheated. Completely out in the open, not caring who noticed.

But we also speak with him about the passing of Pope Benedict XVI on New Year’s Eve. Chuck is a devout catholic  and we wanted to get his thoughts. Benedict XVI was a strong theologian who did not see a conflict between faith and reason and saw that today’s so-called “science” is attacking both. As a fierce global warming debunker, Chuck is very aware of the lack of objectivity in today’s science. And the more we learn about God’s creation, will more scientists find their way to faith?

Show Notes

Please note that at the time of our interviews, the vote for House Speaker and the Brunson case had not yet been settled. Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy but special congratulations to the Freedom Caucus on some huge concessions that may reform how business is done in the House. And we truly look forward to the Church-Committee-style investigations into the weaponization of the FBI and DOJ.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Not Mentioned but Related

  • Elon Musk Reacts After “America First Legal” Uncovers Damning Evidence Revealing a Secret Twitter’s “Partner Support Portal” Used by Government to Censor Dissenting COVID-19 Viewpoints (Gateway Pundit, Dec 14, 2022)
  • Bombshells You Might Have Missed About the FBI’s Censorship and Election Meddling › American Greatness (American Greatness, Dec 12 2022)
  • Victor Davis Hanson: “10 Steps to Save America: Yes, there is a way. But is there the will?” (American Greatness,  Dec 18, 2022)
  • Dr. McCullough: “It Looks Like The mRNA Is Transferring From The Vaccinated To The Unvaccinated” (via Rumble, Dec 2022)
  • Doctor Censored on Twitter After COVID Lockdown Warnings Says ‘Unspecified Agents’ Behind Blacklisting (Epoch Times, Dec 16, 2022)
  • 11 Ominous Economic Predictions for 2023 (No Q Report, Jan 4, 2023)
  • How Green Investors Pay the Media to Promote ‘Climate Change’ (Front Page Magazine, Jan 5, 2023)
    • The Associated Press takes millions from groups leveraged in green investments to promote the need for green investments.

 

Annual Fourth of July Show: The Hand of Providence on George Washington
12-26 Fourth of July – George Washington and the Incredible Hand of Providence

12-26 Fourth of July – George Washington and the Incredible Hand of Providence

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Show Summary: It’s that time of year again: it’s our annual Fourth of July celebration. This year, we are looking back at the Guy, George Washington who got us through the war. Let’s face it. If we hadn’t won the war, the Declaration would have been just an interesting but failed experiment; a side note in history. This week, it’s a fascinating look at a man who was truly born for his time, and had the eternal Hand of Providence on him so many times that his life and what he accomplished was truly a miracle.

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Original Air Dates: June 25, 2022 | Guest: Greg Leo 

This Week – Our 12th Annual Fourth of July Show

How has it been 12 years already? Time flies when you’re keeping an eye on big government I guess, but every year we focus on the Fourth of July and events around it that make the founding of this great country so unique and special.

Previously, we’ve focused on such things as celebrating the Fourth down through History, what those early celebrations looked like. The Declaration of Independence itself, the rights and grievances listed therein. Celebrating the Fourth on the Oregon Trail, the Fourth of July during the Civil War, the first 50 years, major anniversaries, and others. And last year’s focus on the some of the signers of the Declaration (and its predecessor petition).

Looking for something fun and unique to do this Fourth? Celebrate an old fashioned Independence Day at the Newell House at historic Champoeg Park, the birthplace of Oregon. This free event includes a patriotic program with music, food, and a home-baked pie contest and auction.

George Washington

But for this year’s Fourth of July show, we are focusing on the guy. George Washington. The guy who won the war and without whom America might never have existed. Except for a brief, failed attempt at freedom. Squashed by a ruthless king.

We look at his early years, his rural upbringing that often left him feeling inadequate in high society, his involvement in the French and Indian War—which made him a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic—and the continual Hand of Providence on his life that saved him time and again.

And, naturally, we look at his Revolutionary War accomplishments. His defeats and his victories. And how he persevered through both. We look at his personal struggles too, including getting through the deep betrayal of Benedict Arnold, which Washington blamed himself for and nearly quit.

Tune in to hear about America’s quintessential hero. The man for his time. And a man even King George III came to admire.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

We have lots of information for you on George Washington! Be sure especially to check out the Mount Vernon and the Washington Papers sites. But, really, these are all fantastic.

General George Washington Links (as in “general”)

George Washington – French and Indian War

  • Washington: The Soldier Through the French and Indian War (via US History.org)
  • George Washington’s forays into the Ohio country shaped his career and sparked a global war (via Mount Vernon)
  • Excellent summation about Washington’s involvement in French and Indian War (via Mount Vernon)

George Washington: Revolutionary War

  • Super cool! Washington’s Revolutionary War Itinerary (via the Washington Papers)
  • List of Revolutionary War Battles George Washington was at (via Mount Vernon)*While there were over 230 skirmishes and battles fought during the American Revolution, these are the battles General Washington was present for.
  • Washington wins first major US victory at Trenton (via History.com)
  • Washington Biography: Victory, Defeat, Misery, Stalemate: the Early War Years (via SparkNotes)
  • Revolutionary War Battles (via Mount Vernon)
  • General George Washington led the American army to victory during the Revolutionary War (via Mount Vernon)
  • Appointment as Commander in Chief (via Mount Vernon)
  • As Commander in Chief (via Thimbles and Acorns)
  • Another perspective on Washington as the Commander in Chief (via US History.com)
  • George Washington’s Final Command (via Boundary Stones)
    • Did you know Washington was recruited one last time by President Adams to be commander-in-chief?

Timelines for George Washington

Facts Lists for George Washington

  • Key Facts About George Washington (via Mount Vernon)
  • George Washington’s Surveying Career (via Mount Vernon)
  • Top 10 Facts about George Washington (via TheTopTens)
  • 5 Facts About George Washington (via Colonial Williamsburg)
  • 10 Facts About George Washington (via ThoughtCo.com)
  • 11 Little-Known Facts About George Washington (via History.com)
  • Four Uplifting Facts About the Personality of George Washington (by Lioness Rue at Medium.com)
  • 11 Surprising Facts About George Washington You Never Learned In School (via Reader’s Digest)
  • 27 Facts That Paint America’s First President In A New Light (All That’s Interesting)
    • Some myths and more: cherry trees, wooden teeth, but true facts too
  • 47 Interesting Facts About George Washington That You Should Know (via The Fact File)
  • 10 Things You Really Ought to Know about George Washington (via Mount Vernon)
    • Like that he was mostly self-educated, fearless in battle, was the first to sign the Constitution, and more
  • 10 Major Accomplishments of George Washington (Learnodo-Newtonic.com)
    • accomplishments in a nutshell, French and Indian War, and Washington’s accomplishments in the Revolution
  • George Washington (via Britannica)

 

Rediscovering America - How our national holidays tell the true story of America
Restoring Easter – Why it Matters as One of America’s National Holidays

Restoring Easter – Why it Matters as One of America’s National Holidays

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Show Summary: With Easter fast approaching, we welcome back Dr. Scott Powell, author of the book, Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are, to talk in depth about Easter. Its traditions, its history, its meaning, and its importance to America as a national holiday.

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Original Air Dates: April 9th & 10th, 2022 | Guest: Dr. Scott Powell

This Week – Restoring Easter

We welcome back Dr. Scott Powell, author of the terrific new book, Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are. One of the national holidays he spotlights is Easter.

Rediscovering America - Scott Powell
Rediscovering America is available now!

Easter was the first Christian holiday celebrated by the early church. But coming up through ancient Rome, celebrating the Son of God was not an easy thing to do. And could put one’s life in danger. Tune in to hear why normally “tolerant” Rome (tolerant of other religions and gods, at least) was so intolerant of Christianity.

We also talk with Dr. Powell about Easter’s alleged “pagan origins”, Easter celebrations in the early colonies, and as America grew. And don’t miss fascinating stories about George Washington’s early realization of God’s hand on his life. Or about the Dead Sea scrolls’ authors whose own devotion to preserving the true calendar and holidays and their ties to prophecy led to incredibly accurate predictions of the coming Messiah.

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Research, Links, & Further Information

Be sure to order Dr. Scott Powell’s book, Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are.

  • The Growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire (HistoryHit.com, 2018)
    • “Since its foundation, Ancient Rome was a deeply religious society and religious and political office often went hand in hand. Julius Caesar was Pontifex Maximums, the highest priest, before he was elected as Consul, the highest Republican political role.”
  • College of Pontiffs, Ancient Rome (via Wikipedia)
    • “The title pontifex comes from the Latin for “bridge builder”, a possible allusion to a very early role in placating the gods and spirits associated with the Tiber River, for instance”
    • “The pontifex maximus was the most important member of the college. Until 104 BC, the pontifex maximus held the sole power in appointing members to the other priesthoods in the college.”
Rediscovering America - How our national holidays tell the true story of America
Restoring America: How Our National Holidays Tell Our Story

Restoring America: How Our National Holidays Tell Our Story

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Show Summary: This week, it’s about rediscovering America, with Scott Powell, who authored the book, Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are.

Looking for the links mentioned during the show? Click this to jump to the links section.

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Original Air Dates: February 12th & 13th, 2022 | Guests: Scott Powell

Rediscovering America

This week it’s about rediscovering America. Scott Powell’s new book,  Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are.

Rediscovering America - Scott Powell
Available now!

This show looks at how we got to America’s present condition (hint: Marxists) and a look at how we start to climb out of this (hint #2: we need to remember why America is worth fighting for). Scott Powell has been a fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and is currently senior fellow at Discovery Institute.

We discuss how America has fallen — and how we do we get it back? Would the Founders recognize the chaos of today? After all, they fought off their own tyranny. Although that was the King, an ocean away; not right here in the halls of our own government.

David Horowitz: “Scott Powell has made a major contribution in the research and writing of Rediscovering America, providing substantive reason for hope and confidence in the midst of troubled times. It may be the first book written in the history genre that lays out the progressive and redemptive course that is America’s greatest legacy.”

Why has America Lost Its Way?

We also talk with him about how our rapid material success as a country was not equaled by a similar and equal rapid progress in spiritual or social progress. This is very much a spiritual war we are going through, not just one of laws and regulations and elections.

And why aren’t the checks and balances—so carefully crafted by our Founding Fathers—not working right now?

“This book was written to defeat the enemies of our republic by equipping readers from all walks of life to get connected to the character and accomplishments of their forebears and the arc of redemption that defines our history. Prior generations of Americans who shared a similar greatness of moral vision and believed in the beauty of freedom and equality sacrificed their all that this nation might be protected, guided, and healed. We are called to do no less.”

We also talk corruption and abuse of power rather than institutional or constitutional failure, are the chief causes of decline in America today, and what you can do to help fix this.

Be sure to tune in — it was such an interesting discussion that we plan to have him back around Easter.

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Links & Info

Be sure to order Scott Powell’s book, Rediscovering America. It is available March 8th, 2022, but you can pre-order it today.

The importance of stories. They connect us. A happy ever after for Oregon? Film maker and storyteller, Jim Huggins republican candidate for Oregon governor
Stories Connect Us. Can They Help Create Tomorrow’s Hope?

Stories Connect Us. Can They Help Create Tomorrow’s Hope?

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Show Summary: Our brains are hardwired for stories. Tune in this week to hear Dr. Lt. Col. Jim Huggins discuss how he creates stories as CEO of a film company—and how his management skills could lead to a happy ending for Oregon.

Support a local filmmaker! Be sure to check the Links & Info section at the bottom of the page on how to download or order Jim Huggins’ films.

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Original Air Dates: December 25th & 26th, 2021 | Guest: Jim Huggins

This week: Stories in the Making

It’s Christmas time. And that always makes us think about the Christmas story. So this week, we’re focusing on the importance of stories and storytelling. And, how this could lead to a happily ever after for Oregon.

Jim Huggins holds two doctorates, is an ordained pastor, has a master’s degree in engineering—and before that was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Now, he is the CEO, Producer, and Director of a successful film company, New Shepherd Films (www.newshepherdfilms.com). Could all that experience be just what Oregon needs?

Or we could just go on with reruns: keep electing the same people to office and somehow expect different results.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Don’t worry—catch the podcast version. I Spy Radio is now available on your favorite platform, or you can grab it right here. See the full list of podcast options.

Links & Info

  • Jim Huggins’ film company is New Shepherd Films.
  • Their newest film, a Christmas story, is “The 211 House.” It can be streamed online or you can order the DVD direct from New Shepherd.
  • All of New Shepherd’s films can be streamed online through ValorousTV.com.

 

signers of the declaration of independence. Who they were, what led them to be there.
Annual 4th of July Show! Getting to the Declaration, It’s Signers

Annual 4th of July Show! Getting to the Declaration, It’s Signers

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Show Summary: The Declaration of Independence was the third, this-time-we-mean it appeal to the King. We look at the others and why they failed. We often talk about the Founding Fathers but we don’t often talk about the Founding Fathers. What led them to be there? Did you know some weren’t supposed to be there? Join us for this special look into the Signers’ lives, sacred honor, and fortunes—before and after they signed.

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of June 2021
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

Six Different Times, on Eight Different Stations. Listen anywhere! All stations stream live!

Saturdays
8a – 9a: KYKN 1439AM (Salem/Keizer) | Direct Link to KYKN Live Stream
10a – 11a: KFIR 720AM (entire Willamette Valley) | Direct Link to KFIR Live Stream
11a – noon: KLBM 1450AM (Union County) | Direct Link to KLBM Live Stream
11a – noon: KBKR 1490AM (Baker County) | Direct Link to SuperTalk Live Stream
7p – 8p: KWRO 630AM (Oregon Coast & Southeastern Oregon) | Direct Link to KWRO Live Stream

Sundays
8a – 9a: KWVR 1340AM (Wallowa County) | Direct Link: KWVR Live Stream
7p – 8p: KAJO 1270AM or 99.7FM (Grants Pass/Medford) | Direct Link: KAJO Live Stream

Mondays
After the show airs on our network of radio stations, you can listen to our podcast either here on our site or your favorite podcast platform. We are now on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and more. See the full podcast list.

Original Air Dates: June 26 & 27 and July 3rd & 4th, 2021 | Greg Leo

This week: It’s our 11th Annual Fourth of July Show! In the past, our shows focused on celebrating the Fourth of July down through the years and what those celebrations looked like. In the then-frontier of the Midwest. On the Oregon Trail at Independence Rock. The big 50th Anniversary. And, among other things, we’ve looked at the Declaration of Independence itself. The key phrases and the history behind them.

Our guest every year for these annual shows is Greg Leo, a political and business consultant by day but his true love is American history. Especially our early history and the events of our founding.

This year, our special focus is on the previous appeals that led to the final, bold statement: The Declaration of Independence.

Leading up to the Declaration: The Olive Branch Petition

Did you know that the Declaration of Independence was not the first appeal to the King? There were two others that could be considered forerunners to the Declaration. We focus on the Olive Branch Petition.

And we take a look at the First Continental Congress and their two main accomplishments. Do you know whose idea a continental congress was in the first place?

The Second Continental Congress, the same one that sent the Declaration of Independence, sent the Olive Branch Petition to the King, in an attempt to avert war. By then, there had been shots fired and people killed at the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Thomas Jefferson did a first draft but Congress considered it too inflammatory. So they turned to John Dickinson, known as the “penman of the revolution” to soften the tone.

Tune in to hear why it didn’t work. Was it inadvertently sabotaged by one of the Declaration’s signers?

“United”? Not Quite

There were some 65 delegates to the 2nd Continental Congress. But a quick count shows only 56 signers. What happened there?

Well. While we often see the Founding Fathers as a united front, getting there wasn’t easy. And it definitely wasn’t always united. We talk to Greg Leo about the divisions and some delegates who had to be replaced to get to that united.

The Signers of the Declaration of Independence

This year we focus on some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. We hear about them pledging their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor. And they really meant it. All of them were truly putting everything on the line.

But what led them to be there?

And did you know that some of them weren’t even supposed to be there? One was a substitute for the serving President of the Second Continental Congress but played a key role in the Declaration itself.

With 56 signers, and only a one-hour show, we couldn’t focus on all of them. But we do focus on:

  • John Hancock – you know him for his signature. Why so big? But how did this late arrival end up being the President of the Second Continental Congress? Did you know that in many ways he was the Donald Trump of the Revolution?
  • John Morton – I know. Who? You’ve probably never heard of him but he was the key vote. He was also the first signer to die.
  • Button Gwinnett — The second signer to die but not from what you might think. This signer embodied the idea of sacred honor.
  • Samuel Adams — Most people think of him for beer. Except he wasn’t a brewer. What else don’t you know about him? He was
  • John Adams — A creature of politics and a rival to many. Most famously to Thomas Jefferson over states’ rights vs. powerful federal government. Hear about his intercepted letter.
  • Thomas Jefferson — The workhorse who wrote most of the Declaration. A complicated and conflicted man for sure but how’d he get to the 2nd Continental Congress in the first place?
  • Charles Carroll – the very last of the signers of the Declaration of Independence to die. Imagine the changes he saw in the 56 years after the signing.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Don’t worry—catch the podcast version. I Spy Radio is now available on your favorite platform, or you can grab it right here. See the full list of podcast options.

Links and Info on the Signers of the Declaration

Some Signers We Just Couldn’t Get To

  • Joseph Hewes – A successful Businessman who put it all on the line. He was a merchant and had quite a few ships and was the “go-to expert” in Congress for maritime issues. He placed his ships at the service of the Continental Armed Forces. And he served Congress as the Secretary of the Naval Affairs Committee until 1779, when he fell ill.
  • Thomas Lynch Jr. – He was commissioned a company commander in the South Carolina regiment in 1775. … He fell ill shortly after signing the Declaration and retired from the Congress. At the close of 1776 he and his wife sailed for the West Indies. The ship disappeared and there is no record of his life after.
  • Richard Stockton – He was captured and tortured: “New Jersey was overrun by the British in November of ’76, when he was returning from the mission. He managed to move his family to safety, but was captured and imprisoned by the British. Originally, he was taken to Perth Amboy where he was jailed. Stockton was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. Died of lip cancer before the war was finished
  • George Taylor – A bit of a quirky story. He actually arrived too late to vote for independence but signed the Declaration.
  • John Witherspoon – One of two ministers to sign, though the other (Lyman Hall) was also a physician

 
Corona Virus Lockdown: Good Friday, Good Questions, Bad Models

Corona Virus Lockdown: Good Friday, Good Questions, Bad Models

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Show Summary: Oregon doubles down on its Corona virus lockdown. Based on bad models. How long will churches and businesses put up with it? Plus questions from listeners.

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of November, 2018
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

Five Different Times, on Seven Different Stations. Listen anywhere! All stations stream live!

Saturdays
10a – 11a: KFIR 720AM (entire Willamette Valley) | Direct Link to KFIR Live Stream
11a – noon: KLBM 1450AM (Union County) | Direct Link to KLBM Live Stream
11a – noon: KBKR 1490AM (Baker County) | Direct Link to SuperTalk Live Stream
7p – 8p: KWRO 630AM (Oregon Coast & Southeastern Oregon) | Direct Link to KWRO Live Stream

Sundays
8a – 9a: KWVR 1340AM (Wallowa County) | Direct Link: KWVR Live Stream
7p – 8p: KAJO 1270AM or 99.7FM (Grants Pass/Medford) | Direct Link: KAJO Live Stream

Air Dates: April 11th & 12th, 2020 | Dr. Bud Pierce & Pastor Jeff Poush

This Week: Oregon’s Corona virus lockdown continues, in spite of models that have proven consistently to be consistently wrong. Which leaves us to wonder, why is the corona virus lockdown still in place?

One of the questions that has truly troubled us at I Spy is, if we’ve spent billions on healthcare in Oregon and 100s of billions nationally, where did all that money go? Especially in light of how unprepared medical providers were for a crisis.

Does anyone remember when Governor Kitzhaber ran on the fact that “we must be prepared” — and then tossed Oregon’s healthcare system on its ear in in his grand “health care transformation”? But from all reports coming out of Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and media services, prepared has turned into an oxymoron.

Corona Virus Lockdown: Questions for Bud Pierce

In our Part Two interview with Dr. Bud Pierce, an oncologist and hematologist specialist, we take on the numbers. Numbers that are being put out by Oregon’s own OHA, along with those from the federal governments, that depend on models so very reminiscent of climate change models. Overblown and/or unreliable but designed to evoke responses from the public.

You might be interested in: Check out last week’s show with Bud Pierce & Scott McEwen: Corona Virus Numbers Overreaction? Plus: Intelligence Failure in China?

Are Corona Virus “Deaths” Reliable?

One question we have is about the deaths. Deaths that, according to CDC guidelines, are being attributed to COVID-19 even without tests to verify they did, in fact, have the virus.

Theoretically, according to the guidelines, if you committed suicide, and might have had COVID-19, then Corona virus could be listed on the death certificate as the cause of death. Thus adding to the total of Coronavirus deaths. Is this just a little odd? We talk to Dr. Pierce what protocols are in place for how corona virus deaths are counted along with other troubling methods being used. And do we do this for other diseases?

Listener Questions

We also wanted to have him back on to ask a question we’d wanted to ask him last week: What will we do next year when virus and flu season starts up again? Plus. We ask him questions from listeners who wrote in this week, wanting to know such things as the reliability of the numbers being used? Can the virus be transferred to pets? Has the curve flattened here in Oregon? And does he ever see a time when we go back to handshakes and hugs?

Corona Virus Lockdown’s Impact on Churches

Which leads us into the second half of our show, and the impact of Gov. Kate’s decision on large groups — especially churches.

With it being Easter weekend we brought in Pastor Jeff Poush of Salem First Baptist. During the pandemic when so much of our focus is on our physical health and the health of on our economy, what can people do for their spiritual health? We ask Pastor Poush the efforts his church is undertaking to support the spiritual health of their members during a time of physical separation and social distancing.

What If the Corona Virus Lockdown Continues?

We also discuss how the pandemic and ban on large groups has affected his church. And what if this continues? Are there concerns for churches regarding First Amendment rights? And how not gathering as a congregation may impact future events for churches? And, with it being Easter weekend, we find out some of the inspirational and exciting things Pastor Poush and his colleagues’ have planned for Easter morning service.

Don’t miss this informative and uplifting show. For Easter, it’s a time of renewal — and perhaps that’s the message to take to heart.

Podcast Version

Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Don’t worry—the podcast version will be right here after the show airs.

Links Mentioned

  • Check out Salem First Baptist’s website to learn more about their Easter plans
  • Tracking site suggests White House model is overestimating (Just the News, Apr 5, 2020)
  • NY Marks 75% Drop in Hospitalizations (Breitbart, Apr 6, 2020)
  • CDC Director: “Corona Virus Death Toll will be ‘much, much, much lower’ than projected” (Breitbart, Apr 7, 2020)
    • They basically admit the models were used to scare people into compliance – “Q: Are throwing those kind of numbers out actually helpful because what they do is scare the hell out of everyone to social distance? Is that the purpose? A: I think part of the importance of getting the American public’s attention that these models did, we really need the American public to be fully engaged now with great rigor and vigilance on the social distancing. [They] assume[d] only about 50 percent of the American public would pay attention to the recommendations. In fact, what we’re seeing is a large majority of the American public are taking the social distancing recommendations to heart”
  • Covid Tracking Website DELETES Information on Hospitalizations, ICU Patients After TGP Reports Numbers Fall Well Below Model Predictions (Gateway  Pundit, Apr 7, 2020)
  • [Video] Dem Lawmaker Who Credited Trump For Saving Her Life Says She Had to Beg For Hydroxychloroquine After Michigan Gov Barred the Drug (Gateway Pundit, Apr 7, 2020)
  • Innovation! “Military 3D-printing face shields, reusable N95 masks to address hospital shortages” (ABC News, Apr 7, 2020)
  • Father of Obamacare Zeke Emanuel: US Must Maintain Lockdown for 18 Months — No Concerts, Sporting Events, Church or Dinner at a Restaurant (via Gateway Pundit, Apr 7, 2020)
Democrats are acting desperate for impeachment. It's almost like they're acting as if they're hiding a crime.
Light and Dark: Christmas and… Impeachment?

Light and Dark: Christmas and… Impeachment?

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Show Summary: Well, we tried to have a show about Christmas and the start of Advent but then Nancy Pelosi stepped to the mic. Why are Democrats so desperate to push a flailing impeachment? It’s like they’re worried about something. What could it be?

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Original Air Dates: Dec. 7 & 8, 2019 | Dallas Jenkins & James Hirsen

This Week:  The nonsense of listening to non-witnesses who try to testify about what they didn’t hear, but were sure that what they didn’t hear was something that someone thought, continues.

We tried to take a break from that nonsense by recognizing the start of Advent—and at least we get halfway there. The first half our show, we welcome back Dallas Jenkins.

The Light Side: The Chosen

Mr. Jenkins is the director and producer for an incredible series The Chosen, the largest crowd-funded media project ever. Everyday people helped launch this incredible project to be a part of creating a series depicting Jesus and the everyday people He chose to be a part of his earthly ministry.

Download the free The Chosen app to watch all eight episodes for free! And help share it to people all around the globe. Available from iTunes or Google Play store.

We talk with Mr. Jenkins to get more insight into the series, which just launched episodes 5–8, his perceptions on the stories he chose for the series, and the new and exciting ways to watch and share it with people all around the globe. It’s a truly remarkable way to share Jesus’ message and life, right before Christmas.

The Dark Side: Impeachment

Impeachment: Democrats try to steal the presidency
Impeachment: Democrats try to steal the presidency

Then, dark side. We’d planned to talk Christmas, movies, pop-culture and a little politics with our next guest, James Hirsen. But then just hours before our interview, Nancy Pelosi took to the mic and announced that—despite Wednesday’s disastrous hearings with the highly partisan testimonies from the Democrats’ “constitutional experts”—the Democrats were lurching forward to draft articles of impeachment.

So, instead of talking Christmas we tap into James Hirsen wearing his attorney hat, and his recent articles of why the Democrats really should not want the impeachment to head to the Senate.  Mr. Hirsen walks us through his analysis of how they’re moving forward in spite of the reality of no evidence.

And don’t miss his discussion on how President Trump’s almost off-hand inquiry about Ukraine having the Crowd Strike server may have been what really set off the latest impeachment attempt and why.  Where is the server and why hasn’t it been turned over? Or destroyed like so many other pieces of hardware that had evidence on the Democrats?

Democrats in power are probably a little nervous about that.

Podcast Version

Never Miss an I Spy Radio Show

Coverage Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of November, 2018
Current I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size map.

Five Different Times, on Seven Different Stations. Listen anywhere! All stations stream live!

Saturdays
10a – 11a: KFIR 720AM (entire Willamette Valley) | Direct Link to KFIR Live Stream
11a – noon: KLBM 1450AM (Union County) | Direct Link to KLBM Live Stream
11a – noon: KBKR 1490AM (Baker County) | Direct Link to SuperTalk Live Stream
7p – 8p: KWRO 630AM (Oregon Coast & Southeastern Oregon) | Direct Link to KWRO Live Stream

Sundays
8a – 9a: KWVR 1340AM (Wallowa County) | Direct Link: KWVR Live Stream
7p – 8p: KAJO 1270AM or 99.7FM (Grants Pass/Medford) | Direct Link: KAJO Live Stream

Links Mentioned